JP6777334B2 - Monitoring of manually operated syringes - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for monitoring a manually operated syringe.

In a hospital environment, patients may be infused with medication on a regular basis. In many cases, such operations are performed manually, and the recording and monitoring of drug administration to the patient is also performed manually, so some of the operations may not be recorded properly.

For example, the tension in the operating room, ICU, or emergency area and the resulting lower record management priority is that the information is not stored in the patient's medical records when the patient receives medication, or at least the desired accuracy. May cause a condition that is not saved in detail.

On the other hand, monitoring drug administration and storing information for subsequent reference is essential for correct treatment.

An automated drug delivery device capable of monitoring drug delivery and recording related events is known, for example, from Patent Document 1. The system involves placing a syringe (note: syringe or syringe-like object) in the cradle for automatic delivery of the drug to the patient, and reading data from a special label associated with the syringe.

Placing the syringe in the cradle limits the caregiver's operability and forces the caregiver to change their normal working practices. In addition, it is troublesome to insert the syringe into the device. In addition, the cradle and reading system disables standard syringes and labels.

Patent Document 2 addresses the issue of manual records management and discloses a pharmaceutical delivery device for use with a syringe. The syringe is provided with a source of information that provides detectable information indicating the amount of medicine and / or its contents in the syringe. The device has an identification sensor that detects data at the source and a fluid delivery sensor.

However, according to this document, the sensor is arranged to read the area of the tip of the syringe, so the source must be located in this area. This has some disadvantages, for example due to the small space available and the inability to use standard syringes and labels. In addition, fluid delivery sensors are expensive and prone to error at various flow velocities.

It is desirable to provide a device capable of monitoring a manually operated syringe while providing the caregiver a considerable degree of operability and largely reducing the drawbacks of the prior art.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,775 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0112474

According to one aspect, the present invention is in a device that monitors a manually operated syringe that includes a dispensing tip, a syringe barrel with a syringe barrel axis, and a syringe plunger.
A base adapted to connect to the patient's medication point, including a syringe insertion port adapted to receive the syringe dispensing tip, and when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port, the syringe barrel With a base configured so that does not come into direct contact with the base and at least a portion of the syringe barrel protrudes from the base in the direction of the barrel axis.
An image acquisition system that is located on the base and adapted to capture an image of at least a portion of the syringe plunger when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port.
With respect to a device equipped with.

The device (of the present invention) provides a good view of the entire perimeter of the syringe, and the device can automatically record the required data from the syringe operation, so fill in the patient's record and save the relevant data. Allows the caregiver to quickly insert a standard syringe into a standard access port and operate it manually and comfortably, without having to worry about doing so.

In particular, an image acquisition system adapted to capture an image of at least a portion of the syringe plunger when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port determines the plunger stroke during manual operation of the syringe and therefore delivers. The amount of medicine given can be determined.

Therefore, the device (of the present invention) operates minimally invasively for the practitioner and does not require any changes to current medical practice. That is, the device is basically transparent for medical workflows (note: transparent, meaning that the user does not need to be aware of it).

The device can be implanted in a small device that can be held close to the patient, such as a watch.

In some embodiments, the imaging system is adapted to capture images of at least a portion of the syringe barrel when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port. This allows the use of standard data labels that can be attached to the barrel.

In another aspect, the invention is a method of monitoring a manually operated syringe that is adapted to connect to a patient's drug administration point and provides a base that includes a syringe insertion port and an imaging system. And the step of detecting the insertion of the syringe into the insertion port, the step of identifying the contents of the syringe, the step of acquiring a continuous image of the syringe plunger, and processing the image to at least the initial plunger position and the final plunger position. It relates to a method including a step to determine.

Further objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by scrutiny of the specification or can be learned by practicing the invention.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, by non-limiting examples.

It is a schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the apparatus which monitors a manually operated syringe. It is a schematic of (one of) two embodiments of the arrangement of the image acquisition system on the base. FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of (the other of) two embodiments of the arrangement of the image acquisition system on the base. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a device for monitoring a manually operated syringe. A further embodiment of a device for monitoring a manually operated syringe is shown. 4a, 4b and 4c are schematics showing how an embodiment of the device's image acquisition system captures an image of a syringe barrel. 4a, 4b and 4c are schematics showing how an embodiment of the device's image acquisition system captures an image of a syringe barrel. 4a, 4b and 4c are schematics showing how an embodiment of the device's image acquisition system captures an image of a syringe barrel. 5a and 5b are schematics showing how an embodiment of the device's image acquisition system captures an image of a syringe barrel. 5a and 5b are schematics showing how an embodiment of the device's image acquisition system captures an image of a syringe barrel. 6a and 6b are diagrams showing embodiments of the method of monitoring a syringe. 6a and 6b are diagrams showing embodiments of a method of monitoring a syringe. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a method for monitoring a syringe. 8a and 8b are diagrams showing embodiments of a method of monitoring a syringe.

In some embodiments, the device 1 that monitors the manually operated syringe 2 comprises a base 4 as shown in FIG. 1, intended to be connected to a patient's drug administration point. The base 4 is provided with a syringe insertion port 5, such as a Luer port, for receiving the dispensing tip 21 of the syringe 2. The syringe 2 is shown with the data label 3 attached to it, in this case the syringe barrel 22. The data label 3 can be a standard label printed for human readability and / or, among other things, a code that identifies a drug, syringe size, etc., such as a bar code or QR code® (quick response code). ) Can be included.

The base 4 can itself be attached to the patient, eg, taped to the skin or strapped, and the port 5 fluidly communicates with, for example, an intravenous cannula (not shown) for intravenous infusion. Can be done. However, the base 4 can also be placed close to the patient, and the port 5 is an intravenous infusion tube set (Y) so that the drug can be delivered to the patient from a manually operated syringe using port 5 of device 1. It can be connected to the conduit of a set, T set, etc.).

It will be appreciated that device 1 can be portable, i.e. it can be conveniently carried by the caregiver (or caretaker) and attached to the patient.

As can be seen, the base 4 is configured such that when the syringe 2 is inserted into the device, at least a portion of the syringe barrel 22 projects from the base in the direction of the barrel axis BA and does not come into direct contact with the base. .. That is, because the space around the syringe barrel is open, a doctor, nurse, or other caregiver who uses device 1 to manually deliver the drug from the syringe to the patient can hold the syringe by hand. With ample space and a good view of the syringe barrel from any angle, he / she can comfortably control the operations he / she performs.

The device 1 is also an image acquisition system 6 disposed on the base 4 so that at least a portion of the syringe barrel 22 or syringe plunger 23 is in the field of view of the image acquisition system 6 when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port. Can also be prepared. Therefore, the system 6 can be adapted to capture images of at least a portion of the syringe barrel 22 or syringe plunger 23.

The device 1 also controls the operation of the image acquisition system 6 and stores and / or transmits the generated image and / or data derived from the image to the computer system (not shown in FIG. 1). Can also be provided. For example, the device is used to determine the stroke length of the syringe plunger to determine the amount of medication delivered to the patient and / or attached to the syringe barrel, as described in more detail later. It is used to read the identification label and reliably identify the drug being delivered.

Accordingly, embodiments of the device allow the caregiver to easily insert the syringe 2 into port 5 and manually deliver the drug from the syringe to the patient, during which the control unit is an image acquisition system. Manipulate 6 to automatically obtain images from the syringe barrel and / or syringe plunger and process them to obtain the desired data, such as the drug being delivered, the amount delivered, and finally these. It will be appreciated that the data of can be stored / transmitted to the computer system.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 1, the overall length of the syringe barrel 22 can project from the base 4. However, device 1 can also be designed such that only a portion of the barrel, eg, at least half of the barrel or at least one-third of the barrel, protrudes.

In some embodiments, the optical axis OA of the image acquisition system intersects the syringe barrel axis BA at a point outside the base 4, eg, within the length of the barrel 22, as shown in FIG. Can be done.

In practice, in such an embodiment, the image acquisition system 6 is disposed on the base 4 generally near the syringe insertion port 5, so that the optical axis OA of the system 6 is relative to the syringe barrel axis BA. And tilt with respect to the surface of the barrel 22. That is, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the optical axis OA does not intersect the surface of the barrel at right angles.

This means that the camera or other element need not be present substantially above the base 4 around the syringe barrel 22. Thus, this arrangement of the imaging system allows free space to be left around the syringe barrel 22 and facilitates observation and operation of the caregiver.

In some embodiments, the optical axis OA of the optics can be tilted at an angle between 30 ° and 90 ° with respect to the surface of the base (ie, with respect to the plane perpendicular to the barrel axis BA).

Optical axis OA, in this document, means the axis of the optical path obtained as a result of the placement of the image acquisition system 6, and is strictly a specific physical imaging that can be placed on the base in several ways. It does not mean the geometric axis of the device.

In some embodiments, the image acquisition system 6 can be located at a distance of less than 20 cm from the insertion port 5. In some embodiments, this distance can be less than 10 cm.

In a simple embodiment, the image acquisition system 6 can include, for example, a single unit 61, such as a camera or video camera. An example of a suitable unit 61 is shown very schematically in the enlarged view portion of FIG. The unit 61 includes a solid-state sensor 62, such as a CCD or CMOS sensor that records images, and an optical system 63 that focuses the image of the syringe barrel 22 or plunger 23 on the sensor 62, such as one or more suitable lenses. be able to.

The image acquisition system 6 may also include several sensors and optics disposed on the base 4 and distributed around the insertion port 5. For example, the system may include several units 61, eg, two units as shown in FIG. 1, but port 5, eg, three, four, five, or six units 61, or more. Can also be arranged around the base 4 on the base 4 so that each covers the corners of the syringe barrel 22.

In some embodiments, the unit 61 is placed on the base 4 in a direction opposite to (away from) the syringe, and mirrors or so as to deflect (or refract) the optical path towards the syringe barrel. The optical distance between the imaging system and the syringe can be increased by properly tilting the reflecting prism.

For example, FIG. 1b is a schematic front view showing a unit 61 arranged in the direction opposite to the syringe (direction away from the syringe) and a mirror 65 arranged around the base 4.

The unit 61 can have their axes radially disposed on the base 4, but to further increase the length of the optical path, as shown schematically in the plan view of FIG. 1c, in the radial direction. On the other hand, it can be arranged diagonally. The surface of each mirror 65 is then properly tilted in two different directions (horizontal and vertical) so as to deflect (or refract) the optical path towards the syringe.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a device 1 with an image acquisition system in which six units 61, each including an optical system and a solid-state sensor, are dispersed around a port 5 and arranged on a base 4. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the base 4 has a groove 41 for accommodating tubes 43 and 44 of the intravenous infusion system communicating with the syringe insertion port 5.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of device 1 with an image acquisition system 6 having four units distributed around a port 5 on a horseshoe-shaped base 4. The device 1 is attached to the patient's hand and is shown with the syringe 2 inserted into the port 5. The figure also shows the syringe insertion port 5 and the connection port 42 communicating with the tube 43 of the intravenous infusion system.

The use of multiple image acquisition units allows the syringe to be inserted at any position, providing greater freedom for caregiver operation and allowing the best image to be selected from the images provided by different units. It also reduces reflection problems and improves image quality as it becomes possible.

In connection with the image acquisition system 6, the enlarged detailed view of FIG. 1 shows that the sensor 62 and the optical system 63 are parallel to each other, and both are mounted at an angle with respect to the surface of the base 4, so that the surface of the sensor is mounted. An embodiment of the unit 61 which forms a right angle with respect to the optical axis OA of the optical system is shown. The base can be considered to have an overall flat shape configuration extending in a plane approximately perpendicular to the axis of port 5, ie, the syringe barrel axis BA. However, in practice the base can also have a shape or configuration that is not flat or planar (eg, it may be totally or partially curved, with recesses and protrusions, etc.).

In an alternative embodiment, the image acquisition system 6 applies the principle of the Scheimpflug principle to rotate the focal plane to improve the focus of the syringe barrel with non-parallel optical systems and Sensors can be included.

To illustrate the Scheimpflug principle, FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c show three embodiments of the syringe 2 and the camera or unit of the image acquisition system 6 arranged to bring the syringe barrel into its field of view. And are shown schematically. In FIG. 4a, the sensor 62 and the optical lens 63 of the unit 61 are parallel to each other, but in FIGS. 4b and 4c, the surface of the optical lens 63 is inclined with respect to the surface of the sensor 62. In these figures, the surface of the optical lens 63 and the surface of the sensor 62 are represented by solid lines, respectively.

In the arrangement configuration of FIG. 4a, the focal plane FP of the optical system is parallel to the planes of the lens and sensor, and the unit 61 has a depth of field DoF between the two dashed lines shown on both sides of the focal plane in FIG. 4a. Get an image that is in focus inside. As you can see, even if the entire syringe barrel 22 is within the field of view of the optical system, only a short portion F of the barrel height is reasonably focused, and the image of the rest of the barrel is blurred. ..

According to the Scheimpflug principle, when the surface of the lens 63 is tilted at an angle α ₁ with respect to the surface of the sensor 62 in the camera or unit 61', the focal surface FP rotates and is covered, as shown in FIG. 4b. The depth of field DoF becomes wedge-shaped. The surface of the sensor and lens, the focal surface FP, and the surface limiting the depth of field DoF all intersect at a common point. As shown in FIG. 4b, in this case, the barrel height portion F that is appropriately focused is larger than that of FIG. 4b (correctly, FIG. 4a).

FIG. 4c shows a camera or unit in which the lens 63 is tilted at an angle α ₂ greater than α ₁ and thus the focal plane is further rotated, resulting in the entire syringe barrel being within the depth of field DoF of the optics. A further embodiment of 61 "is shown.

The appropriate tilt angle between the optical system 63 and the sensor 62 depends on the distance from the syringe insertion port 5, the height of the syringe barrel, and the like, and can be determined for each specific case. In some embodiments, the tilt angle is at least 0.2 °, eg, between 0.2 ° and 15 °. By tilting the optical system 63 relative to the sensor 62 as shown in FIGS. 4b and 4c, the sensor 62 can be placed flat on the base 4, which still focuses the region of interest of the syringe barrel 22. While acquiring the image, it significantly simplifies the configuration of the device without affecting optical parameters such as caliber and lens size (CCD or CMOS can be easily welded to the base 4 printed substrate).

In units such as 61, 61', or 62 "of the image acquisition system 6, the optics may also include prisms and the like to rotate the field of view in the direction of the syringe barrel 22.

FIG. 5a schematically shows the field of view FoV of the unit 61 as shown in FIG. 4a in the first figure (left figure). In the second figure (right), the unit 61p can be provided with a prism 64, which allows the field of view FoV to rotate and capture the entire region of interest of the syringe barrel 22 (and the plunger 23 if desired). ..

Similarly, FIG. 5b schematically shows the field of view FoV of the unit 61 "as shown in FIG. 4c in the first figure (left). In the second figure (right), the field of view FoV is rotated and A prism 64 can be provided in the unit 61 "p to capture the entire region of interest of the syringe barrel 22 (and the plunger 23 if desired). When using a prism made of plastic material, the prism angle can be between 0 ° and 45 °. A prism made of quartz, which has a high index of refraction with respect to plastic, can have a smaller angle.

In a camera or unit such as the unit 61 "p with a prism 64 and a lens 63 tilted relative to the sensor 62, the sensor 62 is simply welded onto the printed substrate, greatly reducing the overall size of the device. On the other hand, the image acquisition system can be placed on the base 4 and near the syringe insertion port 5 so that an excellent quality in-focus image of the desired portion of the syringe 2 is captured at the same time. Is.

The optical system can be manufactured as an integral unit including an optical prism and a lens. For example, it can be molded into a single part.

In all cases, the optics can include a varifocal lens that allows the position of the focal plane FP to be repositioned so that it can be focused in the appropriate area. The lens can also be designed to compensate for geometric aberrations. In particular, the lens has a curved surface and / or in order to expand the field of view, i.e., to optically amplify areas farther away from the optics and thus obtain uniform resolution over the height of the syringe barrel. It can be designed to include a mirror.

The optical system may be provided with a polarizing filter, for example, a linear or circular polarizing filter, in order to reduce reflection.

To facilitate the acquisition of images of the syringe barrel or plunger, the device has a syringe barrel 22 and / or syringe plunger 23 of the syringe 2 inserted into the insertion port so that the image acquisition system does not have to rely on ambient light. A lighting system 7 can be provided that can be disposed on the base 4 to illuminate. The lighting system 7 can include several light sources arranged on the base 4, such as the six light sources 7 shown in FIG.

The light source can be a flash light source with high brightness and intensity. High intensity improves the signal-to-noise ratio, especially in the area of the image where the light is reflected, and by using a flash light source, it is possible to provide high intensity light with low energy consumption. The operation of the flash light source can be synchronized with the operation of the image acquisition system. The flash light source can include a light source and a flash controller that switches the light source on and off as needed.

In some embodiments of the device, the light source can be an IR LED or other infrared light source. Since infrared (IR) light is invisible to the human eye, this prevents the lighting system from annoying the caregiver, even if a flash and / or bright light source is used. If an IR light source is used, the image acquisition system may be provided with a corresponding IR filter.

It is also possible to provide a polarizing filter that matches the image acquisition system to polarize the light source.

In some embodiments, the lighting system 7 may include a light source arranged to illuminate the liquid inside the syringe barrel 2. This can enhance the contrast of the image and thus improve the resulting image. In some embodiments, a light source, such as a green or red laser light source, can be directed from the base 4 of the device towards the bottom of the side wall of the syringe barrel 22 or towards the bottom of the barrel 22. This enhances (makes) the contrast between the liquid and the plastic part of the syringe 2.

In addition to the image acquisition system 6, the device 1 may be provided with an RFID (radio frequency identification) sensor suitable for detecting the RFID label associated with the syringe, as described later in this document.

In some embodiments, the device 1 can be made from both reusable and disposable parts. For example, the base 4 on which the image acquisition system 6, the lighting system 7, and the like are mounted can be reusable, while the port 5, the tube, and other parts that may come into contact with the liquid can be disposable. For this purpose, the base 4 and port 5 can be adapted so that the port can be removed from the base and, for example, crimped.

Devices such as those disclosed in the above embodiments can be used to monitor syringes manually operated by a caregiver to provide a drug to a patient. Methods for monitoring such syringes can include, for example, the following steps:
-Steps to provide device 1 as disclosed above,
-Step to detect the presence (presence) of syringe 2 in insertion port 5,
-A step of identifying the contents of a syringe, eg, by detecting the data label 3 attached to the syringe barrel 22.
-The step of acquiring an image of the plunger 23 at various moving positions of the plunger 23 along the barrel 22 and-processing the image between the initial plunger position and the final plunger position during operation of the syringe 2 by the caregiver. The step of determining the length of the plunger stroke and the amount of medication delivered by the syringe 2 and-the step of storing the information obtained and / or transmitting it to an external computer system.

To determine the length of the plunger stroke, through the transparent wall of the barrel 22 or through the transparent wall when part of the plunger stem (slender body) 23b is outside the barrel 22, the plunger tip portion The image of 23a can be taken. The stem portion 23b can be marked to facilitate detection of the position of the stem portion 23b. Similarly, the tip portion 23a can be configured to provide the proper contrast inside the barrel 22.

In embodiments of the method as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, the imaging system can be configured to track the plunger stroke to determine the amount of medicine delivered, while identifying the syringe and medicine. Can be done by RFID system.

In FIG. 6a, the RFID sensor 8 is provided on the base 4 and can detect the RFID label 9 attached to the lower part of the syringe barrel 22. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6b, the RFID label 9 can be attached to the top of the syringe barrel 22.

In FIGS. 6a and 6b, the image acquisition system 6 may include a single unit or camera that captures an image of the plunger tip portion 23a through the transparent wall of the barrel 22. The syringe 2 can be inserted into the port 5 at an appropriate position so that the RFID label 9 does not block the camera's field of view.

FIG. 7 is an image acquisition in order to capture an image when a part of the plunger stem portion 23b is outside the barrel 22 and to capture an image of a QR label 3 or a similar data label attached to the barrel 22. An embodiment in which a single unit or camera of the system 6 can be arranged is shown. The plunger stem portion 23b may include a mark 23c that facilitates tracking of its position by the camera. In an alternative embodiment, RFID sensors such as those described in connection with FIGS. 6a and 6b are provided such that the QR label 3 can be replaced with an RFID label and only a camera is required to capture the image of the plunger. It can be provided in the device 1.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, the system relies on the operator to rotate the syringe, so that the ID data label 3 is first scanned by the camera (FIG. 8a), then the operator ports the syringe into port 5. Since it rotates inside, the position of the plunger can be scanned by the camera. This operation is common with luer lock syringes, so medical staff are already familiar with it.

The syringe insertion port 5 can include a seat (not shown) through which the tip of the syringe can be inserted and rotated over an angle.

Embodiment 1 of a device 1 having several units or cameras as shown in FIG. 3, in which the camera is used both to read the label 3 with the QR code and to determine the stroke of the plunger. The method can then include the following steps:
-Step to detect the presence (presence) of syringe 2 in port 5,
-A step to capture video images simultaneously or sequentially with all cameras so that images from all angles are captured while the light flash is on from the lighting system.
-A step to analyze the video streaming of all units until the QR code of Label 3 is detected,
-Step to save QR code®,
-A step to analyze the video streaming of all units to find the image of the plunger 23,
-The step of determining (determining) the initial and final positions of the plunger from this analysis, and-The step of determining (determining) the amount of drug delivered from the length of the plunger stroke and the size of the syringe.

Observations with several cameras allow both convenience for the user and robustness of operation, preventing both obstruction and reflexes.

Once the initial position of the plunger is determined, the system can signal (sound, light, lighting, etc.) to inform the caregiver that he / she can start the injection, and then the system will video from the camera. You can proceed to the analysis of the streaming and detect the final position of the plunger.

The initial position can be determined as the first position where the system has identified the plunger and the final position can be determined as the last position where the system has identified the plunger (which is generally the syringe being removed from the device). Immediately before).

As a safety measure to avoid an error in the final position of the plunger when the system can no longer identify the plunger, for example due to an image recognition problem, the system will relabel the plunger when it cannot detect the plunger. It is expected to try to read. If the label is detected and indicates that the syringe is still in port 5, the system will continue to try to detect the final position of the plunger.

Further details will be described below regarding the detection of the QR code® and the determination of the amount of drug administered. It will be understood that they apply to multiple embodiments of the method. Further details regarding the particular techniques and mathematical functions presented can be found in the professional handbook.

Detection of Plunger and Determination of Dosage As described above, the amount of medication administered can be calculated from the length of the plunger stroke and the size of the syringe (diameter of the syringe barrel).

The size of the syringe barrel can be obtained from the QR code® or other identification label. The length of the plunger stroke can be determined by using an image acquisition unit or camera to detect its position during movement of the plunger and digitally processing the image.

Optical flow techniques can be used to detect the plunger. The essence of optical flow is to detect the movement of an object in a video sequence, for example to calculate the correlation of different blocks of interest in an image.

In this case, the search for movement in the image is limited to the object of interest (plunger), which can be identified using several features such as:

-Shape: The plunger has a specific side length ratio and width, depending on the position of the plunger and the size of the syringe.
-Orientation: The plunger is placed at right angles to the side of the syringe barrel.
-Size: The plunger has a size within a predetermined range, depending on the distance of the plunger from the camera to the syringe.
-Color: The plunger is typically black or white, making it easy to distinguish it from other objects such as fingers.
-Direction of movement: Since the plunger is contained within the syringe barrel, the movement of the plunger is clearly defined in the direction of pushing the liquid out of the syringe, thus limiting the search for movement in this direction.

Therefore, these criteria can be used to identify the plunger during movement and distinguish it from other pseudo-movements, thus increasing the robustness of the image processing method.

Given the proposed geometry of the plunger, a height-dependent pattern matching algorithm can be implemented, where pattern matching between the plunger and a template based on the features described above or a predetermined shape is performed on the height of the image. It changes as a function. Pattern matching between the actual plunger image and the template can be measured by cross-correlation or by normalized mutual information (NMI).

The process can be performed on each camera, each leading to the initial and final position of the plunger. Each video sequence provides a confidence that depends on the correlation seen between the detected object and the predetermined shape, where higher correlation implies higher confidence. Some cameras have unreliable measurements due to the presence of occlusions, while others provide very reliable measurements.

The initial and final positions of the plunger, and therefore the plunger stroke, and the final determination or prediction of the amount of medication administered can be determined by applying an algorithm, eg, by a confidence-weighted average of individual measurements, or by It is obtained by selecting the camera with the best field of view (highest reliability).

Identification of Syringe and / or Substance The identification of a syringe and / or substance or drug contained within the syringe can be applied in several ways, eg, to a syringe barrel, with respect to the substance and / or the syringe itself. This can be done by reading a printed label (QR code (registered trademark), bar code, etc.) or an RFID coded label. In other embodiments, identification can be performed by analyzing the substance (eg, using a spectrophotometer) or simply by providing pre-programmed data to the system.

In some embodiments, relevant information for identifying the syringe / substance is provided by a QR code printed on the label. The QR standard is described in ISO / IEC 18004. In such cases, the steps involved in identifying the syringe and / or substance can be as described below.

-Acquire: Acquire a video stream from each camera in the image acquisition system.
-Preliminary detection: By using local statistics, especially local histograms and variances, the region of interest where the QR code (registered trademark) is located is detected from the video stream, and a black and white pattern or QR code (registered trademark) is detected. ) Can be identified in the pattern area. This method has the advantage of scale invariance and accelerates the operation by focusing only on the area of interest.
-Geometric transformations: Given the cylindrical shape of the syringe barrel with a QR coded label, and a short-range camera, the images obtained exhibit geometric distortion and in some cases are circular. It is convenient to correct this distortion of the QR code®. In such cases, the coordinate changes can be performed via B-spline interpolation, using the fixed QR pattern as the corresponding landmark.

Alternatively, the QR code® can be printed so that the distortion induced by image capture is minimized.

Once the image is geometrically corrected through a change in coordinates, the Hough Transform can be used to accelerate edge detection.
-Code extraction: The process for extracting a QR code (registered trademark) from an image is whether the QR code (registered trademark) is within the field of a single camera (in the case of a system with a single camera, and how many). (In the case of a system with such a camera), or the QR code (registered trademark) is distributed across different cameras, and it differs depending on whether only a part of the QR code (registered trademark) can be seen.

If the entire QR fits within the field of view of a single camera, the detection procedure is described in Section 13 of the ISO / IEC 18004 standard. If the QR is distributed across different screens, the alignment mark can be used as a reference to extract the portion of the code that can be seen by each camera.

A reference mark can be introduced on the label to assist in the detection guidance of the QR label. In particular, a dashed red line can be drawn around the QR label to aid in guidance detection.

Detection of Syringe Presence (Presence / Presence) Before the syringe / substance identification is made and / or before the plunger detection is performed, the operation of the device involves detecting the presence (presence / absence) of the syringe. be able to.

This can be done in a number of different ways. In particular, by pattern matching, eg by boundary filter detection, by blob analysis of either shape or orientation, by thresholds of such quantities, by line detection (via Hough transform), etc. The same image acquisition system can be used to detect the presence or absence of a syringe. Alternatively, sensors such as IR detectors or photoelectric cells can be added to the hardware design to detect the presence or absence of a syringe.

In all cases, the image can be processed by the control unit of the device, or by a unit outside the device itself, for example belonging to a hospital computer system. The control unit stores and / or sends information about the infusions made to the patient through any known protocol (such as Bluetooth®), and this information is automatically stored in the patient's history. Can be done.

In addition, during operation, the system can provide information to the caregiver, for example via a screen and / or by an acoustic system. The system may signal, for example, when a QR code® is detected and / or when the initial / final position of the plunger is detected and / or when an image cannot be obtained. it can. The system allows the caregiver to operate the injection even if the QR code and / or plunger location cannot be read.

Although a limited number of specific embodiments and examples of the present invention have been disclosed herein, other alternative embodiments and / or uses of the present invention and obvious variations and equivalents thereof are possible. It will be understood by those skilled in the art. Further, the present invention includes a range of possible combinations of the specific embodiments described. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited by a particular embodiment and should be determined only by a fair interpretation of the claims set forth below.

1 Syringe monitoring device 2 Manual operation syringe 4 Base
5 Syringe insertion port 6 Image acquisition system 7 Light source (lighting system)
21 Syringe dispensing tip 22 Syringe barrel 23 Syringe plunger 62 Solid sensor 63 Optical system (or optical lens)
64 Prism BA Barrel Axis OA Optical Axis of Image Acquisition System

Claims (13)

An apparatus for monitoring a manually operated syringe, the syringe includes a dispensing tip, a syringe barrel having a syringe barrel axis, comprising a syringe plunger, in the apparatus, the apparatus,
A base configured to be directly connected to the patient's medication point and to include an insertion port for the syringe configured to receive the dispensing tip of the syringe . Is configured such that when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port, the syringe barrel does not come into direct contact with the base and at least a portion of the syringe barrel protrudes from the base in the direction of the syringe barrel axis. Is, the base,
An image acquisition system disposed on the base and configured to capture an image of at least a portion of the syringe plunger when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port.
A device characterized by being equipped with. The device of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition system is configured to capture an image of at least a portion of the syringe barrel when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical axis of the image acquisition system intersects the syringe barrel axis at one point in the syringe barrel when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the image acquisition system includes a solid-state sensor and an optical system configured to focus an image of the syringe barrel on the solid-state sensor. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the optical system includes an optical prism. The image acquisition system includes at least two solid-state sensors and a plurality of optical systems as many as the number of the solid-state sensors , each of which is associated with a corresponding solid-state sensor. , The image of the syringe barrel is configured to focus on the corresponding solid state sensor.
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the at least two solid-state sensors and the plurality of optical systems are arranged on the base and distributed around the insertion port. When the syringe is inserted into the insertion port, further comprising an illumination system configured to illuminate the syringe barrel, apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6. The image acquisition system is configured to capture an image of a data label attached to the syringe barrel when the syringe is inserted into the insertion port, any one of claims 1-7. The device described in. A method of monitoring the manually operated syringe,
A step that provides a base that is configured to be directly connected to the patient's medication point and includes an insertion port for a syringe and an imaging system.
The step of detecting the insertion of the syringe into the insertion port and
The step of identifying the contents of the syringe and
Steps to get continuous images of syringe plunger,
The steps of processing the image to determine at least the initial and final plunger positions,
How to be prepared. The step of identifying the contents of a syringe comprises acquiring at least one image of a data label attached to the syringe barrel.
The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of processing an image comprises determining a syringe identification parameter from the image of the data label. The method of claim 9 or 10 , wherein the step of processing the image further comprises determining the length of the plunger stroke between the initial plunger position and the final plunger position. 11. The method of claim 11 , comprising the step of acquiring a continuous image of a tip portion of the syringe plunger inside the syringe barrel. The method of claim 11 or 12 , comprising the step of obtaining a continuous image of the stem portion of the syringe plunger outside the syringe barrel.